CONCACAF Gold Cup: Win or Go Home for Honduras While Haiti Only Need a Draw

Honduras vs Haiti

With Mexico on course to claim the top spot in Group B of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the last knockout stage berth is going to be up for grabs between Haiti, Qatar, and Honduras.

Mexico are expected to wave goodbye to Qatar because it’s a mismatch, so the game between Haiti and Honduras is the one that will determine who joins El Tri in the next round.

Haiti have the upper hand because they’ve hauled in more points than Honduras. They kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 win against Qatar before losing 3-1 to Mexico yesterday.

Meanwhile, Honduras have one point after losing 4-0 to Mexico and drawing 1-1 with Qatar. They’re at the bottom of the group because they have an inferior goal difference to Qatar.

However, they can turn the tables if they win this game.

Talking Points

Honduras’ frontline is further compromised

Los Catrachos’ scoring woes that date back to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers continue to haunt them in this tournament.

Diego Vasquez’s men have also rarely been able to do much with their dominance of the ball, going winless when they had at least 50-per cent possession since their 4-0 victory over Grenada in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Last night, Honduras had 17 total shots with only four of them on target, which is in stark contrast with Qatar, which had five total shots and three on target. In terms of possession, they had the ball 66-per cent of the time.

They were actually trailing for much of the game when Tameem Al-Abdullah put the Qataris ahead after seven minutes, but Alberth Elis’ bailed them out with the equaliser during added time.

Honduras cannot afford to concede the first goal against Haiti because they haven’t won many games when doing so over the past few years.

And the odds are stacked against them because their frontline just got thinner, with Rubilio Castillo unavailable after being red-carded in the latter stages against Qatar. The 31-year-old forward is one of their most experienced forwards, with six goals in 31 caps.

With Castillo out, Alberth Elis and Jerry Bengtson need to bring their A-game in order to have a chance against Les Grenadiers.

Haiti’s striker duo can put them over the line

Les Grenadiers tend to save their best for last here in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, as they’ve won three in each of their final group stage matches.

A win or a draw against Honduras will put them over the line, but of course they would prefer to win to build momentum ahead of the knockout stage.

Their loss to Mexico was actually their first defeat this year, but the game was closer than the score suggests. If they converted their early chances, the outcome would’ve been much different.

Danley Jean Jecques scored the only goal for Haiti, which is his first for Les Grenadiers. He operates primarily in midfield, but he may be asked to play in a more advanced role to complement their top forwards, Duckens Nazon and Frantzdy Pierrot.

Nazon and Pierrot led the way in their opening victory against Qatar on Monday. The Israeli Premier League stars have scored 44 goals in 76 appearances for Haiti.

History

At this same juncture of the CONCACAF Gold Cup eight years ago, Haiti ended their three-game losing streak against Honduras, beating them 1-0. It was their first clean sheet against them since 1973, and it was their only win over Los Catrachos since the tournament changed its name in 1991.

The win put Les Grenadiers in the quarter-finals, where they eventually lost to Jamaica. Los Catrachos were left behind following the loss because they ended up with only one point in Group A.

That was also the last time these two proud nations met in a competitive setting. Prior to 2015, Honduras had a three-game winning streak over Haiti across all competitions.

Betting Tip

The CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 odds predict a tight contest between Honduras and Haiti. Honduras were given the slight edge at 2.34, whereas Haiti were installed at 2.71, and a draw is at 3.10 in the 1×2 market.

Correct Score 1-1 at 5.60 is also on offer if you’re looking at a draw, but we’re more sure with going for Total Goal 2-3 at 1.85 given their problems defencively. Overall, this match should be fun with so much on the line. We expect more CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 highlights to come your way, and SBOTOP has you covered.

 

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